Ashville, N.C., a diverse, fun location

July 5, 2009

We recently drove to Branson, Mo., for a meeting. On the way home we decided to visit relatives and friends. We stopped at places such as Bell Buckle, Tenn., (very neat little town), Watts Bar Lake (part of the TVA system of lakes in Tennessee), Hickory, N.C., (home of the furniture markets) and Asheville, N.C., (home of Bud and Rita Miller, former Martinsburg residents and our hosts).

Unfortunately, our schedule didn't allow us much time in Asheville but I was impressed with what I did see and read about. It's a progressive area with a multitude of restaurants, art galleries, theater and musical events and activities for all ages.

Asheville is the largest city in Western North Carolina. It is located in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the scenery is absolutely gorgeous. We approached Asheville from the west on I-40. I had been told it was a terrible drive but I found it stunning. The highway winds up and down through the mountains among the lush green forests. It's interstate so you're on divided four lane highway all of the way. Granted, some of the inclines are pretty steep and it sometimes felt like we were descending into a bottomless ravine but it was a gorgeous drive.

When we arrived in Asheville we found that we were still enveloped in those same lovely, serene mountains. The town is built on hills so there are many vantage points for enjoying the scenery. Apparently the price of a home is, to an extent, determined by how high in the mountains it is and its view. I can see why. It was so relaxing sitting and looking out onto the convoluted magnificent mountains while realizing that we were actually in a city.

Because it is tucked into the mountains, bears sometimes intrude into the town. Humans are taking more and more of their habitat and thus contact between bears and humans is inevitable. Asheville publishes a pamphlet to educate humans in living with these wild creatures. They discourage bird feeders in yards as this smells like food to a hungry bear and in dry times they will come out of the mountains in search of any kind of nourishment. Some try taking their feeders in at night but bears will still be drawn to any dropped food on the ground. So if you live in the mountains, you need to learn to adapt and keep feeders put away and grills in the garage when not in use.

Asheville has a population of about 74000 people. The largest age group is 24 to 54 years old. But more and more people are finding it a great place to retire so that figure will probably change.

There is a lot to do in the town. Want to take a tour? Asheville has trolley tours which will take you on a guided excursion of the city's highlights. These are always fun as you can learn so much of the history of a place in a short period of time. You also avoid the hassle of driving and not really knowing what you are seeing. Not into trolleys? There are also walking tours and ghost tours. Of course, with all of the gorgeous scenery surrounding the town, there's hiking and mountain biking as well.

Beer lovers can board the Brews Cruise. This will take you to three of the city's breweries for samples and tours. There are at least 5 breweries in the area. In the fall about 40 breweries are at the Brewgrass Festival with more than 120 beers available. There's also bluegrass music for entertainment and lots of food! Apparently tickets sell out early so you need to plan in advance for this event.

One of the best-known attractions in the area is the Biltmore Estate. This is an amazing place built by George Vanderbilt as one of their residences and still owned by a family member. It is a sprawling place of a mere 8,000 acres with 250 rooms and 43 bathrooms, a winery, gardens and woods for strolling, horses to ride, bicycles to rent, and a true French castle built in America. The wealth that it took to build and maintain all of this is just staggering. If you are going to visit, you should plan on a very full day if you want to visit the mansion as well as the grounds. You can actually stay on the grounds in a lodge that has been built for visitors. If you buy your tour tickets online you'll receive a discount on the cost.

The arts are alive and thriving in Asheville. Thousands of artists from all the creative fields live in the area. There are over 30 art galleries for browsing and styles range from classical to contemporary. Friday evening from spring to fall offers art walks. You can visit the galleries and talk with the artists being showcased and perhaps find something original to take home with you.

Music runs the gamut from Bluegrass, Jazz, Rock and Roll to Classical. Many of the venues are small and intimate so that you have a chance to actually interact with the musicians.

The people of Asheville are known for being tolerant and accepting of ideas, lifestyles, politics, races and religions. You will see people walking the streets wearing tie-dye clothing as well as those in suits and ties. It has one of the largest alternative lifestyle populations on the east coast. The diversity of the population makes it a comfortable place to visit. It also adds so much to the variety of art, music and foods available. Ashville was even voted #3 in dog friendly resorts for visitors! I would definitely like to return to spend more time enjoying all that the area has to offer.